Outdoor combination floor

ABSTRACT

An outdoor floor covering includes a plurality of planks, a plurality of bases, and at least a fastening element. A positioning portion of each base is slidably disposed in a sliding groove of each plank. Adjacent ones of first sidewall surfaces of the bases are engaged with each other through engaging portions. Adjacent ones of second sidewall surfaces of the bases abut against each other through protruding and dent portions. At least a fastening element is engaged and connected between adjacent ones of the second sidewall surfaces of the bases. Hence, the outdoor floor covering of the present invention enables quick assembly and prevents the planks and bases from undergoing displacement horizontally or vertically. Accordingly, the outdoor floor covering is quick and convenient to lay, exhibits satisfactory structural stability, and enhances pedestrian safety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to floor coverings, and more particularly, to an outdoor floor covering which is convenient to lay and exhibits satisfactory structural stability.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional outdoor floor covering is laborious and time-consuming to lay, because the laying process requires mounting a plurality of keels on the ground to provide foundations, and fixing multiple planks to the keels with a nail gun to finalize the assembly. Furthermore, the planks deform as a result of high humidity and temperature changes, and thus the nails get loosened gradually and exposed from the planks eventually, thereby jeopardizing pedestrians walking on the planks Moreover, the underlying keels rot gradually when immersed in rainwater accumulated under the planks after downpours. As time passes, the overall structural stability of the outdoor floor covering deteriorates.

Furthermore, recent years see a gradual increase in the demand for wood and the decreasing number of trees. This, coupled with the escalating awareness of environmental protection around the world, explains why material costs of wooden floor coverings are ever-increasing. In addition, wooden planks for use with outdoor floor coverings tend to denature for a man-made or natural reason. If the planks are not timely maintained and repaired during their denaturing process, the planks will rot and rupture when haunted by bacteria and ants, thereby shortening the service life of the planks, or even causing the outdoor floor coverings to collapse and thus compromising pedestrian safety.

In attempt to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, the industrial sector develops a composite outdoor floor covering. Unlike its conventional outdoor floor coverings whose assembly requires fixing planks to keels, the composite outdoor floor covering is assembled by coupling planks to bases and then fixing the planks to the bases with screws or any other fixing elements. It is convenient and quick to lay the outdoor floor covering. Two adjacent ones of the bases are well engaged and thus prevented from moving relative to each other horizontally, and thus the outdoor floor covering manifests enhanced structural stability. But there is not any positioning-oriented structure vertically disposed between two adjacent bases of the outdoor floor covering, and thus vertical dislocation is likely to occur between the two adjacent bases for a topographic reason. The vertical dislocation of the bases leads to protrusion of the planks from an originally defined standard plane. As a result, pedestrians may slip or get injured when their feet hit the protruding planks.

In conclusion, the prior art is disadvantaged by inadequate structural stability and poses a problem with pedestrian safety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an outdoor floor covering which is quick and convenient to lay, exhibits satisfactory structural stability, and enhances pedestrian safety.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides an outdoor floor covering which comprises a plurality of planks, a plurality of bases, and at least a fastening element. A sliding groove is disposed at a bottom of each said plank. The bases each have a top surface, a bottom surface, two opposing first sidewall surfaces, two opposing second sidewall surfaces, and an engaging groove. The top surface has a positioning portion. The positioning portion penetrates the sliding groove. The first sidewall surfaces each have a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion. Adjacent ones of the first sidewall surfaces of the bases are engaged with each other through the first and second engaging portions. The second sidewall surfaces each have a protruding portion, a dent portion, and a snap-engaging portion. Adjacent ones of the second sidewall surfaces of the bases mesh with each other through the protruding and dent portions. The snap-engaging portions are adjacent to the protruding and dent portions, respectively, and each have a ramp. The engaging grooves are each adjacent to a corresponding one of the dent portions and formed between a terminal end of the dent portion and the snap-engaging portions. The at least a said fastening element is engaged and connected between adjacent ones of the second sidewalls of the bases. The at least a said fastening element has a bottom wall, two endwalls, and a hook-engaging wall. The endwalls extend from two ends of the bottom wall and toward the snap-engaging portions of the bases and each have a ramp. The ramps of the endwalls abut against and align with the ramps of the snap-engaging portions, respectively. The hook-engaging wall is disposed between the endwalls, extends from a side of the bottom wall toward the protruding and dent portions of the bases, and forms a hook portion at a terminal end of the hook-engaging wall. The hook portion is hook-engaged with the engaging groove. The bottom wall, the endwalls, and the hook-engaging wall define a snap-engaging slot for receiving the snap-engaging portions of the planks.

A through hole is disposed at each said base, and the planks are each fixed to a corresponding one of the bases through a fixing element passing through the through hole.

An identification area is defined on a bottom wall of at least a said fastening element and disposed between one of the endwalls and the hook-engaging wall.

The identification area of at least a said fastening element is a countersunk hole penetrable by a screw.

One of the snap-engaging portions of each said base has two said ramps, and a hook-engaging wall of at least a said fastening element has a ramp, wherein two said ramps of the snap-engaging portions abut against and align with the ramps of one of the endwalls of each said fastening element and the ramp of the hook-engaging wall.

The ramps of the snap-engaging portions of each said base each have a plurality of driven positioning serrate portions, and the ramps of the two endwalls of at least a fastening element each have a plurality of driving positioning serrate portions, wherein the driving and driven positioning serrate portions mesh with each other.

A pad extends from one of the snap-engaging portions of the bases and is positioned proximate to the bottom surface of the base.

A plurality of drain holes is disposed at each or one of the protruding and dent portions of the bases.

The sliding groove of each said plank is an T-shaped receiving space comprising a narrow passage and a wide chamber, whereas the positioning portion of each said base comprises a vertical segment and a horizontal segment, wherein the vertical segment has an end connected to the top surface of the base and has another end connected to the horizontal segment, wherein the vertical segment and the horizontal segment are received in the narrow passage and the wide chamber, respectively.

A reinforcing rib is disposed and defined by and between the bottom wall, the hook-engaging wall, and the hook portion of at least a said fastening element.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an outdoor floor covering which enables quick assembly and prevents planks from undergoing displacement relative to bases horizontally or vertically. Hence, the outdoor floor covering of the present invention is quick and convenient to lay, exhibits satisfactory structural stability, and enhances pedestrian safety.

To enable examiners further understand the structure, features, and objectives of the present invention, the present invention is illustrated with embodiments and drawings and described hereunder so that persons skilled in the art can implement the present invention accordingly. However, the description below is merely intended to provide the embodiments for explaining the technical contents and features of the present invention. After understanding the technical contents and features of the present invention, persons skilled in the art can carry out all kinds of modifications, replacements, and reduction of constituent components to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the modifications, replacements, and reduction of constituent components are deemed falling within the claims of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The technical contents and features of the present invention are described hereunder with an illustrative embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial assembled perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing relative positions of components upon assembly;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing relative positions of the components;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, highlighting technical features of sliding groove and positioning portion;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fastening element in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing technical features of driving positioning serrate portions;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the position of the fastening element relative to the bases;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the position of the fastening element relative to the bases;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that first and second engaging portions of the bases are engaged and connected;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing how the outdoor floor covering is fastened to keels; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fastening element according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, highlighting technical features of a reinforcing rib.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The structure, features, and advantages of the present invention are hereunder illustrated with preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an outdoor floor covering 10 in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of planks 20, a plurality of bases 30, and at least a fastening element 40.

In the first preferred embodiment, the planks 20 are made of wood and are solid or composite. A sliding groove 21 is disposed at the bottom of each plank 20.

In the first preferred embodiment, the bases 30 are each formed by plastic injection molding and made of PE, PP, PS, PVC, PMMA, ABS, PA, or POM. The bases 30 each have a top surface 31, a bottom surface 33, two opposing first sidewall surfaces 35, and two opposing second sidewall surfaces 37. The first sidewall surfaces 35 are connected in a direction defined as a horizontal long axial direction 301. The second sidewall surfaces 37 are connected in a direction defined as a horizontal short axial direction 303. The top surface 31 has a positioning portion 311. The positioning portion 311 is movable in the horizontal long axial direction 301 to penetrate the sliding groove 21. A through hole 39 is disposed centrally in each base 30 to penetrate the top surface 31 and the bottom surface 33. The planks 20 are each fixed to a corresponding one of the bases 30 by a fixing element 50 passing through the through hole 39 to allow each plank 20 to be firmly coupled to the top surface 31 of the corresponding one of the bases 30. The first sidewall surfaces 35 each have a first engaging portion 351 and a second engaging portion 353. Adjacent ones of the first sidewall surfaces 35 of the bases 30 are engaged with each other through the first and second engaging portions 351, 353. The second sidewall surfaces 37 each have a protruding portion 371 and a dent portion 373. A plurality of drain holes 375 is disposed at each or one of the protruding and dent portions 371, 373. When adjacent ones of the second sidewall surfaces 37 of the bases 30 abut against each other through the protruding and dent portions 371, 373, the drain holes 375 are exposed between the planks 20. Hence, water is unlikely to accumulate between the planks 20 but is conveyed to beneath the bases 30 via the drain holes 375.

At least a said fastening element 40 is engaged and connected between adjacent ones of the second sidewall surfaces 37 of the bases 30 to restrict the opposite displacement of the bases 30 in the horizontal long axial direction 301 or the horizontal short axial direction 303.

Referring to FIG. 3 through FIG. 7, the sliding groove 21 of the plank 20 is female T-shaped, whereas the positioning portion 311 of the base 30 is male T-shaped. In the first preferred embodiment, two parallel T-shaped sliding grooves 21 are disposed at the bottom of each plank 20 and extend deep into the plank 20. The sliding grooves 21 extend from front ends 201 of the planks 20 to rear ends 203 of the planks 20. The two T-shaped positioning portions 311 extend from the top surface 31 of the base 30 and in the direction of the corresponding one of the planks 20. Each positioning portion 311 is a continuous structure extending in the horizontal long axial direction 301 or a segmental structure (shown in FIG. 2) extending in the horizontal long axial direction 301. Referring to FIG. 3, the sliding groove 21 of the plank 20 is an T-shaped receiving space which comprises a narrow passage 211 and a wide chamber 213, whereas the positioning portion 311 of the base 30 comprises a vertical segment 313 and a horizontal segment 315. The vertical segment 313 has one end connected to the top surface 31 of the base 30 and has the other end connected to the horizontal segment 315. The vertical segment 313 and the horizontal segment 315 are received in the narrow passage 211 and the wide chamber 213, respectively. Hence, according to the present invention, the sliding grooves 21 move in the horizontal long axial direction 301 and across the top surfaces 31 of the bases 30 to get engaged with the positioning portions 311, respectively, such that the planks 20 can be easily disposed on the bases 30, respectively, and prevented from moving in the horizontal short axial direction 303 and across the top surfaces 31 of the bases 30, and in consequence the outdoor floor covering is convenient to lay and exhibits satisfactory structural stability. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the second sidewall surfaces 37 of the bases 30 each have a snap-engaging portion 376, and each snap-engaging portion 376 adjoins the protruding and dent portions 371, 373. Each snap-engaging portion 376 is provided with a ramp 377 having a plurality of driven positioning serrate portions 379. A pad 331 extends from one of the snap-engaging portions 376 and is positioned proximate to the bottom surface 33 of the base 30 so as to raise the bases 30 and define a flowing space 333 by and between the bases 30 and the ground G for the sake of drainage. An engaging groove 381 is disposed at each base 30 and positioned proximate to the dent portion 373. The engaging groove 381 is disposed between the terminal end of the dent portion 373 and the snap-engaging portions 376. Referring to FIG. 4, at least a said fastening element 40 has a bottom wall 41, two endwalls 43, a hook-engaging wall 45, and a hook portion 47. The bottom wall 41 has an identification area 411. The identification area 411 is disposed between one of the endwalls 43 and the hook-engaging wall 45. The endwalls 43 extend from two ends of the bottom wall 41 toward the snap-engaging portions 376 of the bases 30. The endwalls 43 each have a ramp 431 having a plurality of driving positioning serrate portions 433. The ramps 431 of the endwalls 43 abut against and align with the ramps 377 of the snap-engaging portions 376. The driving and driven positioning serrate portions 433, 379 mesh with each other. The hook-engaging wall 45 is disposed between the endwalls 43 and extends from the bottom wall 41 toward the protruding and dent portions 371, 373 of the bases 30 to form the hook portion 47 at the terminal end of the hook-engaging wall 45. The hook portion 47 is hook-engaged with the engaging groove 381. The bottom wall 41, the endwalls 43, and the hook-engaging wall 45 define a snap-engaging slot 49 for receiving the snap-engaging portions 376 of the bases 30. Hence, the bases 30 are prevented from moving horizontally across the top surfaces 31 of the bases 30 to separate from each other.

In conclusion, an assembly process performed by workers on the outdoor floor covering 10 of the present invention comprises the steps of: moving the sliding grooves 21 in the horizontal long axial direction 301 and across the top surfaces 31 to allow the sliding grooves 21 to engage with the positioning portions 311 such that the planks 20 can be easily disposed on the bases 30, respectively; passing the fixing elements 50 through the through holes 39 of the bases 30 to allow the planks 20 to be fixed to the bases 30, respectively, and thus prevent the planks 20 from undergoing horizontal or vertical displacement across the top surfaces 31 of the bases 30; engaging the first and second engaging portions 351, 353 of the bases 30 with each other in pairs; determining the direction in which at least a said fastening element 40 is mounted on one of the bases 30 according to the identification area 411 defined on the bottom wall 41 of at least a said fastening element 40; allowing the driving positioning serrate portions 433 disposed at one end of at least a said fastening element 40 to mesh with the driven positioning serrate portions 379 of a said base 30, such that the hook portion 47 of at least a said fastening element 40 spontaneously gets hook-engaged with the engaging groove 381 of the base 30; pressing the protruding portion 371 of the other base 30 against the dent portion 373 of an adjacent one of the bases 30; and allowing the driven positioning serrate portions 379 of the other base 30 to mesh with the driving positioning serrate portions 433 at the other end of at least a said fastening element 40.

The identification area 411 of the fastening element 40 of the present invention further has another advantage. Referring to FIG. 8, the identification area 411 of the fastening element 40 is a countersunk hole. Mounting the outdoor floor covering 10 of the present invention on keels L entails putting the first piece of bases 30 on the keels L, disposing at least a said fastening element 40 between the first piece of bases 30 and the keels L, passing a countersunk screw 51 through the countersunk hole, screwing the countersunk screw 51 to the keels L below the fastening element 40, and disposing the second piece of bases 30 between the first piece of bases 30 and the at least a fastening element 40. Hence, the outdoor floor covering 10 of the present invention can be quickly and conveniently laid and firmly mounted on the keels L.

Referring to FIG. 9, a second preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a fastening element 40. Most technical features of the fastening element 40 in the second preferred embodiment are identical to that in the first preferred embodiment and thus are not described in detail herein for the sake of brevity. The difference between the first and second preferred embodiments is that two parallel reinforcing ribs 451 are disposed and defined by and between the bottom wall 41, the hook-engaging wall 45, and the hook portion 47. The reinforcing ribs 451 augments the structural strength of the hook-engaging wall 45. The quantity of the reinforcing ribs 451 shown in the diagram is not restrictive of the present invention.

In conclusion, the outdoor floor covering of the present invention has the following advantages:

1. The sliding groove 21 moves along the horizontal long axial direction 301 and across the top surface 31 to engage with the positioning portion 311 to thereby enable the planks 20 to be easily disposed on the bases 30, respectively, and prevent the planks 20 from undergoing displacement in the horizontal short axial direction 303 and across the top surfaces 31 of the bases 30. The first and second engaging portions 351, 353 of the bases 30 are engaged with each other in pairs to precisely restrict the displacement of the bases 30 in the horizontal long axial direction 301 and across the top surfaces 31. The hook portion 47 of at least a said fastening element 40 is hook-engaged with the engaging groove 381 of the base 30. The driving and driven positioning serrate portions 433, 379 mesh with each other, such that the bases 30 are restrained by at least a said fastening element 40 and prevented from moving across the top surfaces 31 of the bases 30 horizontally to separate from each other. Hence, the outdoor floor covering can be laid quickly and conveniently and can have a stable structure.

2. The fixing elements 50 penetrate the through holes 39 of the bases 30 to allow the planks 20 to be fixed to the bases 30, respectively, and prevent the planks 20 from undergoing horizontal or vertical displacement relative to the bases 30. A plurality of drain holes 375 is disposed in each or one of the protruding and dent portions 371, 373. When two adjacent ones of the second sidewall surfaces 37 of the bases 30 abut against each other through the protruding and dent portions 371, 373, the drain holes 375 are exposed between the planks 20, such that water is conveyed to beneath the bases 30 via the drain holes 375 without being accumulated between the planks 20. A pad 331 extends from one of the snap-engaging portions 376 and is positioned proximate to the bottom surface 33 of the base 30 so as to raise the bases 30 and define a flowing space 333 by and between the bases 30 and the ground G for the sake of drainage, so as to reduce the unevenness and wetness of the floor covering and enhance pedestrian safety.

The constituent components disclosed in the above embodiment of the present invention are illustrative rather than restrictive of the scope of the present invention. They can be replaced with the other equivalent components or changed and still fall within the claims of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An outdoor floor covering, comprising: a plurality of planks, wherein a sliding groove is disposed at a bottom of each said plank; a plurality of bases each having a top surface, a bottom surface, two opposing first sidewall surfaces, two opposing second sidewall surfaces, and an engaging groove, wherein the top surface has a positioning portion penetrating the sliding groove, wherein the first sidewall surfaces each have a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion, wherein adjacent ones of the first sidewall surfaces of the bases are engaged with each other through the first and second engaging portions, wherein the second sidewall surfaces each have a protruding portion, a dent portion, and a snap-engaging portion, wherein adjacent ones of the second sidewall surfaces of the bases mesh with each other through the protruding and dent portions, wherein the snap-engaging portions are adjacent to the protruding and dent portions, respectively, and each have a ramp, wherein the engaging grooves are each adjacent to a corresponding one of the dent portions and formed between a terminal end of the dent portion and the snap-engaging portions; and at least a fastening element engaged and connected between adjacent ones of the second sidewalls of the bases, wherein at least a said fastening element has a bottom wall, two endwalls, and a hook-engaging wall, wherein the endwalls extend from two ends of the bottom wall and toward the snap-engaging portions of the bases and each have a ramp, wherein the ramps of the endwalls abut against and align with the ramps of the snap-engaging portions, respectively, wherein the hook-engaging wall is disposed between the endwalls, extends from a side of the bottom wall toward the protruding and dent portions of the bases, and forms a hook portion at a terminal end of the hook-engaging wall, wherein the hook portion is hook-engaged with the engaging groove, wherein the bottom wall, the endwalls, and the hook-engaging wall define a snap-engaging slot for receiving the snap-engaging portions of the planks.
 2. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein a through hole is disposed at each said base, and the planks are each fixed to a corresponding one of the bases through a fixing element passing through the through hole.
 3. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein an identification area is defined on a bottom wall of at least a said fastening element and disposed between one of the endwalls and the hook-engaging wall.
 4. The outdoor floor covering of claim 3, wherein the identification area of at least a said fastening element is a countersunk hole penetrable by a screw.
 5. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein one of the snap-engaging portions of each said base has two said ramps, and a hook-engaging wall of at least a said fastening element has a ramp, wherein two said ramps of the snap-engaging portions abut against and align with the ramps of one of the endwalls of each said fastening element and the ramp of the hook-engaging wall.
 6. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein the ramps of the snap-engaging portions of each said base each have a plurality of driven positioning serrate portions, and the ramps of the two endwalls of at least a fastening element each have a plurality of driving positioning serrate portions, wherein the driving and driven positioning serrate portions mesh with each other.
 7. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein a pad extends from one of the snap-engaging portions of the bases and is positioned proximate to the bottom surface of the base.
 8. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein a plurality of drain holes is disposed at each or one of the protruding and dent portions of the bases.
 9. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein the sliding groove of each said plank is an T-shaped receiving space comprising a narrow passage and a wide chamber, whereas the positioning portion of each said base comprises a vertical segment and a horizontal segment, wherein the vertical segment has an end connected to the top surface of the base and has another end connected to the horizontal segment, wherein the vertical segment and the horizontal segment are received in the narrow passage and the wide chamber, respectively.
 10. The outdoor floor covering of claim 1, wherein a reinforcing rib is disposed and defined by and between the bottom wall, the hook-engaging wall, and the hook portion of at least a said fastening element. 